Abstract
The separation of mixture consisting of three kinds of plastic was studied experimentally and analytically. The principle behind the separation technique is based on the difference in Coulomb force acting on the plastic particles after triboelectric charging. The mixture is charged by friction in a mixer and is separated in a vibratory feeder equipped with two plate electrodes. The separation tests were performed on a sample containing polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS). The charging distribution of plastic particles was measured. An analytical solution is provided to estimate the recovery of plastics. It is shown that it is possible to obtain high purity and recovery of plastics.
